Very generally, electrical connectors are devices provided for interconnecting electrical circuits. A typical electrical connector includes a dielectric housing, such as of plastic material or the like, which mounts a plurality of terminals terminated to the electrical circuits. The circuits may range from discrete electrical wires to circuit traces on a printed circuit board. Although the invention herein is applicable for a wide variety of electrical connectors, it is shown herein in conjunction with an electrical connector for a flat electrical cable.
Typically, an electrical connector for a flat cable includes a dielectric housing loaded with a plurality of terminals in a generally parallel array and on a given pitch. The housing has an opening or mouth for receiving the flat cable. An actuator is movably mounted on the housing for retaining the flat cable inserted into the housing and for biasing conductors of the cable against the terminals. There are various types of actuators, such as actuators which are pivotally mounted on the housing, as by an integral or living hinge portion of the plastic material. Other actuators are separate or independent of the housing, as with a sliding type actuator that moves in and out of the mouth or opening in the housing along the flat cable.
One of the problems with connectors having separate or independent actuators, such as the sliding actuators, is that the actuators have a tendency to loosen from the housing and even fall therefrom. Therefore, various latch means have been provided for holding the actuator in a first, loading position whereafter the actuator can be moved to a final, terminating position once the flat cable is inserted into the housing. Some connectors actually have two sets of latch means, one latch means for holding the actuator in its first, loading position and a second latch means for holding the actuator in its final, terminating position.
Nevertheless, the various latch means of the prior art still have proven ineffective if the actuator is jolted or unintentionally moved or skewed relative to the housing which has a tendency to disengage the latch means. For instance, a particular latch means may be effective in a given direction, but if the actuator is twisted or moved in a different direction, the actuator becomes loosened or unlatched from the housing. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a unidirectional latching system in electrical connectors of the character described.